Avenue Hotel

The Comfort Inn Near Universal Studios is a chain value hotel, and guests who do not expect much more than a comfortable enough place to stay with free breakfast and a few business center amenities will not be disappointed. Unremarkable from the outside, the hotel is easy to miss (despite its bright-blue Comfort Inn sign). But the lobby area is surprisingly contemporary -- outfitted with large sand-colored tiles, curved red walls, light avocado walls, and modern lounge furniture. The space is open and breathable. Off to the side, a lone computer stands atop a marble tabletop, accompanied by a vending machine. More concessions and an ice machine are found in the wide carpeted hallways. Motel-style outdoor corridors covered in stucco hint at the hotel's past.

The Comfort Inn Near Universal Studios may not be as close to Universal Studios as other area hotels, but -- depending on the traffic -- it can be reached within a 15- to 20-minute drive, or 20-minute metro ride. Located between Koreatown and Los Feliz off Vermont Avenue, one of the area's main roads, this hotel's surroundings don't offer much in the way of looks. But its close proximity to the 101 freeway and the metro's Vermont/Sunset red line station make it a convenient base for those looking to stay within the Hollywood, downtown, and mid-Wilshire areas. The hotel is about a 10-minute drive from arty downtown L.A., and a 15-minute drive from Hollywood. Los Feliz and Griffith Park (home of the outdoor Greek Theater) are about 10 minutes north of the hotel. The mid-upscale shopping mecca, The Grove, and the Farmers' Market on Fairfax, a foodie favorite, are about a 15-minute drive west.

Rooms are contemporary and surprisingly stylish for a value chain hotel. While beds and furniture are still within the value range, they escape an overly dated vibe, although this feeling falls short with the industrial and dated look of the bathroom, whirlpool tiling, and value carpeting. All room types are similar, with the exception of the Jacuzzi King Room, which has a hot tub in its corner. Some guests, noting the worn carpeting and slight shabbiness of the well-worn bathrooms, say the rooms are overdue for renovation. Guests can lounge on the thin comforters and fluffy pillows or armless lounge chairs while scanning through satellite channels on the 42-inch flat-screen TV. Rooms also have mini-fridges, a microwave, and irons (with boards).

One of the Comfort Inn's best features is its generous hot breakfast buffet. Available for free to all guests, it has an assortment of items, such as waffles, hot egg dishes, meats, yogurts, and juice, set out for three hours each morning in the breakfast room. The hotel also has a small business center with free Internet, but services such as copying, faxing, scanning, and printing may cost extra. While the hotel does offer free newspapers, local calls, and Wi-Fi, there are a handful of fee services, including parking and use of the tour desk. Parking can also be difficult, as spots fill up quickly (particularly in the evening). Starting in the fall of 2014, the hotel plans to provide a shuttle service to points within four to five miles of the hotel.